Parliamentary Departments

The Department of the House of Representatives provides services to support the efficient conduct of the House of Representatives, its committees and certain joint committees as well as a range of services and facilities for Members in Parliament House.

The Department of Parliamentary Services provides a wide range of diverse services and facilities to ensure that the Parliament functions effectively. These include research, library services, television and radio broadcasting, Hansard transcripts, central computing facilities and services, telecommunications and all aspects of the maintenance and security of the building and precincts.

The role of the Parliamentary Budget Office is to inform the Parliament by providing independent and non-partisan analysis of the budget cycle, fiscal policy and the financial implications of proposals.

The Department of the Senate provides the Senate, its committees, the President of the Senate and Senators with a broad range of advisory and support services related to the exercise of the legislative power of the Commonwealth.

The Parliamentary Library is part of the Department of Parliamentary Services and provides services to senators, members, their staff and the staff of committees. The first library services were delivered to federal parliament in 1901 and continue to provide significant support to parliament and the democratic process.

Part of the Department of the Senate, the Parliamentary Education Office provides a wealth of information on Parliament by facilitating education programs, including role-plays, for over 90,000 students per year. They also create a range of engaging print and online resources about the work of the federal Parliament.